As someone who moved from CA to Baltimore I have some idea of the move here. First, if you’re in your twenties and have no kids…just no to the burbs man. Y’all can be boring later in life. Move to Canton and the surrounding areas near the Patterson park (south of Baltimore street) and Fells Point. The other option is Fed Hill/Locust Point/Riverside. Get a row home, get a rooftop deck to throw 4th of July parties and watch the fireworks in the harbor. Check out the many restaurants and bars and nightlife all around the city has to offer. You’ll meet new people, have lots to do, and have fun. And to be clear I’m not saying you have to love bar crawling to enjoy the city, lots of cool local restaurants and bars to catch a game, enjoy a happy hour and some food on the patio. If you want to live in strip mall hell then go for the burbs but that sounds awful.

Edit: I didn’t see the part about kids. My wife and I have a toddler and another on the way and live in Canton. Love it. One day sure we will move out and settle down when they need to be in good schools but for now there are so many activities for the kids here.

Edit 2: You won’t drive into the city for fun if you live in the burbs. People in the county think we live in Afghanistan. You’ll worry about parking and not know where to go and probably end up in a tourist trap crappy restaurant when you do come.